Before 1900 the major religious groups in [[Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] were:

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* Roman Catholics

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* Baptists

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* Methodists

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* Episcopalians<br />

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The Congregational Church was the predominant church until the end of the 18th century. Many church records were published with the town [[Massachusetts Vital Records|vital records]].

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*[[Congregational Church in the United States|Congregationalists]]

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*[[Roman Catholic Church in the United States|Roman Catholics]]

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*[[Baptist Church in the United States|Baptists]]

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*[[Methodist Church in the United States|Methodists]]

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*[[Episcopal Church in the United States|Episcopalians]]

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'''1889 Church Records'''. There is a list of the churches in each town, the date of organization, kinds of records kept, years covered, and condition of the records as of 1889 in Wright's Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records (see [[Massachusetts Archives and Libraries]]).

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The [[Congregational Church in the United States|Congregational Church]] was the predominant church until the end of the 18th century. Many church records were published with the town [[Massachusetts Vital Records|vital records]].

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The Family History Library has many published and manuscript records of Baptist, Congregational, and Society of Friends congregations. A useful index of marriages recorded by early churches is:

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Perry Miller's classic book ''The New England Mind: The Seventeenth Century'' (New York: Macmillan, 1939), provoked a great deal of interest in the religious origins of the Massachusetts colony.

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Bailey, Frederic W. ''Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800''. Three Volumes in one, 1897–1914. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1968. (FHL book 974.4 V2b; film 874200; fiche 6051393.) This book has records of marriages for more than 111 towns.

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'''1889 Church Records'''. There is a list of the churches in each town, the date of organization, kinds of records kept, years covered, and condition of the records as of 1889 in Wright's Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records (see [[Massachusetts Archives and Libraries|Massachusetts Archives and Libraries]]).

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Many denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:

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The [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] has many published and manuscript records of Baptist, Congregational, and Society of Friends congregations. A useful index of marriages recorded by early churches is:

'''American Baptist Historical Society'''<br />The Library in Rochester is now closed to researchers, with interim director Betsy Dunbar working full-time, preparing collections for packing. We are not accepting any more research requests "by mail" in 2007 nor are we scheduling appointments to our Rochester Library at this time. We will also close the Valley Forge Archives Center to visitors beginning in mid-June. We are inviting researchers to plan to visit us in 2008 at our new location on the Atlanta campus of Mercer University.

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Many denominations have collected their records into central repositories. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located:

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Internet: http://www.baptisthistory.us/

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=== Baptist ===

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An informative history is:

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[http://www.abhsarchives.org/ American Baptist Historical Society]<br>The Library in Rochester is now closed to researchers, with interim director Betsy Dunbar working full-time, preparing collections for packing. We are not accepting any more research requests "by mail" in 2007 nor are we scheduling appointments to our Rochester Library at this time. We will also close the Valley Forge Archives Center to visitors beginning in mid-June. We are inviting researchers to plan to visit us in 2008 at our new location on the Atlanta campus of Mercer University.

Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for&nbsp;Massachusetts Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog Family History Library Catalog] . Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. {{FHL|129780|item|disp=FHL book 979.2258 A3j}} and {{FHL|129780|item|disp=FHL fiche 6031507}}. These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

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Goodwin, John A. ''The Pilgrim Republic: An Historical Review of the Colony of New Plymouth, with Sketches of Other New England Settlements, the History of Congregationalism, and the Creeds of the Period''. Boston, Massachusetts: Tickner, 1888. (FHL film 1465570.)

*Goodwin, John A. ''The Pilgrim Republic: An Historical Review of the Colony of New Plymouth, with Sketches of Other New England Settlements, the History of Congregationalism, and the Creeds of the Period''. Boston, Mass.: Tickner, 1888. {{FHL|411502|item|disp=FHL film 1465570}}

The Archdiocese includes the counties of: [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex]], [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex]], [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk]], [[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] and [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk]]

The diocese includes the counties of: [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable]], [[Bristol County, Massachusetts|Bristol]], [[Dukes County, Massachusetts|Dukes]] and [[Nantucket County, Massachusetts|Nantucket]]

The diocese includes the counties of: [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire]], [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin]], [[Hampden County, Massachusetts|Hampden]] and [[Hampshire County, Massachusetts|Hampshire]]

The diocese includes the county of: [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester]]

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'''The Drouin Collection'''<br><br> [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1111 Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954] ($) (Ancestry). This database only contains the French Catholic parish records from the United States in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania. It is the U.S. part of the U.S. and French-Canadian Drouin Collection. For more details see [[The Drouin Collection: Six databases|"The Drouin Collection: Six Databases"]]

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The types of records include baptisms, marriages, and burials as well as confirmations, dispensations, censuses, statements of readmission to the church, and so on. They are written mainly in French, as well as English, Latin, and Italian.

Perry Miller's classic book The New England Mind: The Seventeenth Century (New York: Macmillan, 1939), provoked a great deal of interest in the religious origins of the Massachusetts colony.

1889 Church Records. There is a list of the churches in each town, the date of organization, kinds of records kept, years covered, and condition of the records as of 1889 in Wright's Report on the Custody and Condition of the Public Records (see Massachusetts Archives and Libraries).

The Family History Library has many published and manuscript records of Baptist, Congregational, and Society of Friends congregations. A useful index of marriages recorded by early churches is:

Contents

Baptist

American Baptist Historical SocietyThe Library in Rochester is now closed to researchers, with interim director Betsy Dunbar working full-time, preparing collections for packing. We are not accepting any more research requests "by mail" in 2007 nor are we scheduling appointments to our Rochester Library at this time. We will also close the Valley Forge Archives Center to visitors beginning in mid-June. We are inviting researchers to plan to visit us in 2008 at our new location on the Atlanta campus of Mercer University.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

Early church records, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for Massachusetts Wards and Branches can be found on film and are located at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers, for each ward, can be locate through the Family History Library Catalog . Or by refering to Jaussi, Laureen R., and Gloria D. Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. FHL book 979.2258 A3j and FHL fiche 6031507. These volumes contain the film numbers for many (but not all) membership and temple record films.

Congregational

Goodwin, John A. The Pilgrim Republic: An Historical Review of the Colony of New Plymouth, with Sketches of Other New England Settlements, the History of Congregationalism, and the Creeds of the Period. Boston, Mass.: Tickner, 1888. FHL film 1465570

The types of records include baptisms, marriages, and burials as well as confirmations, dispensations, censuses, statements of readmission to the church, and so on. They are written mainly in French, as well as English, Latin, and Italian.